Xiuxian, I can travel to another world

Chapter 226 Black Ice Flame

Jiupinju.

The shop that Li Xingzhou managed for Zhu Ju.

They mainly deal in various low-level monster materials, seafood, and magical artifacts, while also acquiring various rare and precious materials.

As the young master of the Li family, the giant dragon family, Li Xingzhou has been dealing with all kinds of goods since birth.

It can be described as a business acumen.

With his experience and the goods provided by Zhu Ju, Jiupinju gradually gained some fame among low-level cultivators.

A steady stream of spirit stones and materials were delivered to Zhu Ju through business dealings.

"father!"

"uncle!"

The two young men walked into the shop side by side, and Li Shun asked:
"Did you need something from us?"

time heals everything.

It has only been a little over a year since I left the East China Sea Alliance, and the tragic events that happened to the Li family back then have been forgotten by everyone.

Li Shun was growing rapidly, and in just over a year, he grew a head taller.

His physique also became more robust.

Li Anran, standing to the side, was dressed in fine clothes and had an elegant demeanor; at first glance, one might mistake him for a young master from some noble family.

"How many times have I told you, don't worry about your appearance." Seeing the two of them, Li Xingzhou subconsciously frowned.

“We are the Lord’s hired servants and servants, not blood relatives or juniors, so we are not afraid of being laughed at by others.”

"Uncle." Li Anran said indifferently.
"Senior Zhu said that as long as the business is doing well, the rewards we deserve will not be lacking. We can take what we are entitled to and use it however we want."

"Yes!" Li Shun also said.
“Without Father, Jiupinju would not be where it is today. Besides, we didn’t take much.”

As he spoke, his eyes flickered.

He had just sold a low-grade magic artifact in his shop at a 'low price' yesterday, so he inevitably felt somewhat guilty.

Li Shun still felt guilty, while Li Anran felt at ease and even felt that her family had lost out. After all, if the Li family hadn't suffered a disaster, she wouldn't have had to haggle over the price of a jade pendant and lose her dignity for no reason.

"Nonsense!" Li Xingzhou roared.

"Without our Lord, it's uncertain whether the three of us can survive. And what's the deal with this ledger?"

"What's wrong?" Li Anran stepped forward upon hearing this, flipped through the ledger, and shrugged.
"We did a good job."

"Foolish!" Li Xingzhou sneered.

"You really think your little tricks can fool everyone and that there's no problem as long as the income and expenses match?"

"That's not how you do accounting!"

"Hehe..." Li Anran scratched his head and laughed:
"Uncle, we are indeed not as experienced as you. We would appreciate it if you could help us out so that things don't look bad."

"No." Li Xingzhou shook his head.

“You vomit up what you ate, settle the accounts, and that’s the end of it.”

"Otherwise, we won't be able to explain this to our lord."

"Father!" Li Shun's expression changed drastically:
Why are you like this?

"Uncle, we've already spent the spirit stones. Li Shun and I want to advance to the Innate Realm as soon as possible," Li Anran added.

"Only when we achieve the innate state can we hope to attain the foundation of the Dao and revive the Li family of the Sea Dragon."

“Hoo…” Li Xingzhou took a deep breath and said slowly:

"I understand now."

"Revenge and the revitalization of the Li family are not something that can be achieved in a short time or in one generation; the real task is to pass on the Li family bloodline."

"Although your talents are not bad, it is not difficult for you to cultivate to the Innate Realm, but to become a Dao Foundation Realm cultivator is nothing short of a pipe dream. You should learn to live a proper life. From today onwards, you will start from the bottom as shop employees, get married as soon as possible to continue the bloodline of the Li family, and stop loitering on the streets."

"father!"

"uncle!"

Li Shun and Li Anran's expressions changed drastically.

"what happened?"

at this time.

A familiar voice came from outside the shop, and Zhu Ju, with his hands behind his back, slowly stepped into Jiupinju.

"Who would want to come into a place where it's so noisy to do business?"

He glanced around, his brow furrowing slightly, and said:

"Account books".

"My lord." Li Xingzhou's face turned pale.

"What is it?" Zhu Ju asked.
"The accounts from last month haven't been sorted out yet?"

“This…” Li Xingzhou’s forehead was sweating. He glanced at the account book beside him, hesitated for a moment, and then handed it over:

"No, it's just that we haven't checked it in detail yet."

"Young Master of the Chamber of Commerce, is it really necessary to double-check such a trivial matter?" Zhu Ju smiled and casually flipped open the ledger.

Li Shun and Li Anran stood respectfully to one side, their heads bowed, without uttering a sound.

Although Li Xingzhou disdained the ledgers, neither of them thought Zhu Juneng could discover anything amiss.

Bookkeeping,

It's not a simple matter.

Li Xingzhou was able to spot the discrepancy in the accounts because he had been in business for many years; others might not be able to do the same.

"Hmm..." Zhu Ju flipped through the ledger for a moment, then put it down thoughtfully.

"My lord," Li Xingzhou gritted his teeth and said,

"Last month's poor performance was due to Li's poor management. This month, we will definitely improve the performance."

"If it fails, please punish me severely, my lord."

“I trust Mr. Li to do business.” Zhu Ju thought for a moment and patted the ledger beside him.

Li Shun and Li Anran felt relieved upon hearing this.

You passed!
I knew you wouldn't understand.

A hint of disdain appeared on Li Anran's lips, and her body became increasingly relaxed.

"I see," Zhu Ju began.
"In a few days, the Cloud Whale Chamber of Commerce will stay in Ice Castle for a while. We'll send the two of them down then."

"So as not to distract young friend Li."

He pointed at Li Shun and Li Anran.

"what!"

The three people's expressions changed drastically.

Ice Fortress is perpetually frigid and lacks various resources. Several Foundation Establishment cultivators, like kings, hold the power of life and death over everyone in their territory.

Apart from the Dao Foundation cultivators and their bloodlines, everyone else was a slave.

And there is no possibility of promotion.

Throwing it into the ice castle, the outcome is predictable.

“My lord.” Li Xingzhou stepped forward, his face filled with anxiety.

"Hmm?" Zhu Ju's eyes darkened slightly.
"If young friend Li is reluctant to leave, he can go down with them. I, Zhu, will find someone else to manage Jiupinju."

"With such a mess of debts, do you really think I, Zhu, am easy to bully?"

He had once served as the president of a chamber of commerce and led a cultivation sect, so it was impossible for him to hide his simple accounting methods.

not to mention……

His discerning eye swept over it.

Li Xingzhou was dressed in plain clothes, his clothes dull and lifeless.

The two young men were dressed in gold and jade, their clothes shimmering with various spiritual lights, and they carried several low-grade magic artifacts.

They didn't have this many assets when they arrived on the island.

"Senior!" Li Shun trembled and suddenly knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Please forgive me, Senior! Please forgive me, Senior!" "Senior Zhu." Li Anran gritted her teeth.

"Without the Li family, you wouldn't be able to join the Cloud Whale Chamber of Commerce. At worst, I'll return your things. What right do you have to kick us out?"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Xingzhou's expression changed drastically, and he slapped him hard across the face.

He was slapped so hard that blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

"You beast, shut up!"

Li Xingzhou's eyes widened in terror, and he quickly knelt down on the ground:
"Please forgive me, senior. Please forgive me."

"Heh..." Zhu Ju smiled faintly:
"It's true that a small favor is appreciated, but a large one is resented. Stealing from the master's property and embezzling from the accounts are actually Zhu's fault."

"Don't forget that if it weren't for Zhu's consent, you wouldn't even have had the chance to set foot on the island."

"Senior." Li Xingzhou kowtowed frantically, smashing his forehead until it was a bloody mess:
"Senior, spare your life!"

"Spare your life!"

Only then did Li Anran seem to come to her senses, feeling a chill run through her body, and she collapsed limply to the ground.

"Senior Zhu."

At this moment, the market inspectors arrived upon hearing the commotion. Those who recognized Zhu Ju immediately clasped their hands in a respectful gesture and inquired about his whereabouts.
"Do you need any help from me?"

"These two stole my things," Zhu Ju said slowly, pointing at Li Shun and Li Anran.
"Once we get to the ice fortress, throw it down."

"Yes." The patrolman responded, waving his hand behind him and coldly shouting:
"Take him away."

"father!"

"uncle!"

Li Shun and Li Anran roared and begged for mercy, while Li Xingzhou knelt on the ground, his body tense, but he dared not raise his head.

…………

In a daze, Li Xingzhou arrived at Zhu Ju's courtyard, knelt down at the door, and waited for a day and a night before finally seeing him.

"Is something wrong?"

"Lord."

Li Xingzhou looked up, his chapped lips trembling, and his voice quivered as he said:

"I intend to get married."

"Oh!" Zhu Ju smiled and nodded.

"Very well, is there anyone you've taken a fancy to? When you get married, I, Zhu, will certainly present you with a generous gift."

"Thank you, Lord."

Li Xingzhou kowtowed:
"Junior, take your leave."

He staggered down the mountain, his mind already forgetting Li Shun and Li Anran, and instead pondering whose daughter he should marry.

Marry several.

"I can still have children. I have ten years left to live. Within those ten years, I can marry many wives and have many children, ensuring the continuation of the Li family bloodline."

'At least I haven't let my ancestors down!'

*
*
*
Two months later.

Gu Xinglan, Dong Ping, and the others returned from their trip and, having gained a great deal, invited a group of Dao Foundation cultivators to celebrate.

"Ha ha!"

At the banquet.

Gu Xinglan, in a carefree and unrestrained manner, laughed loudly while holding a wine glass:

"Drunken Daoist, Fellow Daoist Zhu, you really missed out by not going. On this trip, we obtained a Core Formation spiritual item, as well as various rare and precious materials."

"That's not a ruin, but a cave dwelling of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from a thousand years ago, hidden within millennia-old black ice, protected by an array, and outside there's a group of sea monsters..."

His eyes flickered, and his voice was filled with emotion:
"We worked hard for several months to finally open the cave, and the harvest was quite abundant. Fellow Daoist Fang Yuansi even took the opportunity to break through the early stage of Dao Foundation and advance to the middle stage of Dao Foundation."

"I also benefited quite a bit."

"Congratulations!" The Drunken Taoist's face showed envy, but his tone suddenly changed:
"A Core Formation Spiritual Object..."

"In the hands of the Fang family?"

The Yunjing Chamber of Commerce is currently dominated by the Yan family, but it is not a single dominant family. The Fang family also occupies a market town and is a strong competitor to the Chamber of Commerce's leading families.

If the Fang family produces a Golden Core cultivator, then according to convention, the position of the Chamber of Commerce leader should be held by that Golden Core Grandmaster.

Golden Elixir grants a lifespan of eight hundred years.

If one takes longevity elixirs, it is possible to live to be over a thousand years old.

In other words.

If the Fang family produces a Golden Core Grandmaster, then the Chamber of Commerce will respect the Fang family for hundreds of years to come.

The birth of a Golden Core Grandmaster is a good thing for the entire Chamber of Commerce, but not necessarily for the Yan family.

"Yes."

Gu Xinglan nodded, then shook her head, and lowered her voice to say:
"That Core Formation spiritual object is a ball of Xuanbing Flame, which is incompatible with the Fang family's cultivation method. Perhaps it will benefit your Yan family."

"Oh!"

"I've heard that Fang Chu of the Fang family plans to change his cultivation method and refine it after his Dao Foundation is perfected."

The so-called "spiritual objects that form the core" are certain spiritual objects born between heaven and earth that can purify magical power and help form the core.

The attributes of spirit creatures are varied and cannot be applied universally.

If one's practice of a particular method clashes with that of a spiritual entity, then refining or consuming such an entity will be harmful and offer no benefit.

"Fang Chu? To modify it?" The Drunken Taoist's face showed disdain upon hearing this:

"His talent is good, but whether he can achieve the Dao Foundation Perfection is still unknown. Even if he can, who knows when."

"My Yan family's cultivation technique is not a perfect match with the Xuanbing Flame, but it is barely usable. It would be better to sell it to the Yan family."

"Hehe..." Gu Xinglan shook her head:

"I'm afraid the Fang family won't agree. They'd rather put it up for auction than get what the Fang family wants."

"Hmph!" The Drunken Taoist snorted coldly, his eyes flickering back and forth, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhu Juze ate and drank in silence.

He has no objection to who makes the decisions in the chamber of commerce.

"Brother Zhu."

A delicate fragrance wafted closer, and Yan Nanshuang sat down beside her:
"Do you regret it?"

"really."

Zhu Ju looked up and shrugged:

"Everyone who went gained something, and it would be a lie to say I wasn't envious, but I, Zhu, am well aware of my own limitations."

He glanced at Gu Xinglan and sighed softly.

According to the other party, this trip has almost gathered enough resources for the early stages of Dao Foundation cultivation, allowing them to settle down and meditate for the next few decades.

"Hehe..." Yan Nanshuang covered her mouth and chuckled:

"There's no need to be envious. In a few years, Brother Zhu can come with us on a trip. Perhaps he'll reap a considerable reward."

"Oh!" Zhu Ju remained noncommittal.
"I'll be sorry to bother you then."

As they were talking, Dong Pin joined them, and the group chatted and laughed until it got dark before heading back home, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The Drunken Taoist and Zhu lived next to each other, so they naturally returned together, riding on auspicious clouds towards the mountain peak.

"Fellow."

Zhu Ju glanced at the gathering place, his eyes filled with contemplation:
"Have you noticed that Fellow Daoist Gu's personality has changed somewhat since this trip?"

"Not only Fellow Daoist Gu, but also Fellow Daoist Dong and the others."

"Really?" The drunken Taoist hiccuped.
"Did not notice."

"It must be my imagination." Zhu Ju thought for a moment and shook his head slightly.

(End of this chapter)